Matter Boards

Product Highlight: SparkFun's Thing Plus Matter – MGM240P

SparkFun's Thing Plus Matter – MGM240P enables fast prototyping and development of Matter-based IoT devices.

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Matter: Evaluation to Certification

Silicon Labs will introduce Matter, cover how to get your device tested and certified, and more.

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Product Highlight: Nordic Semiconductor's nRF5340 Development Kit

Nordic Semiconductor's nRF5340 is an ideal SoC for professional lighting, advanced wearables, and other complex IoT applications.

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Product Highlight: NXP's K32W041AM and K32W041A Wireless MCUs

NXP's K32W041AM and K32W041A wireless MCUs are integrated with a comprehensive mix of analog and digital peripherals along with options for larger data memory.

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Thread Boards

Product Highlight: u-blox's R41Z Evaluation Kit

u-blox's R41Z module is a highly integrated, ultra-low-power module that enables Thread with IEEE 802.15.4 and BLE RF connectivity.

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Product Detail: Nordic's Thingy:52™ IoT Sensor Kit

nRF52832 Transceiver; Bluetooth® Smart 4.x Low Energy (BLE) 2.4GHz Evaluation Board from Nordic Semiconductor

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What is Thread? Low-power IoT Networking for Smart Home Devices

Thread is a wireless networking protocol designed for smart home and IoT devices. It is built using the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard.

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Silicon Labs Webinar: Matter: Evaluation to Certification

The Matter 1.0 specification was released in October of 2022 and the momentum and buzz around it is unprecedented in the IoT industry.

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What is Matter? Unifying IoT Devices for the Smart Home

In this video, we provide an overview of Matter, why it will help with IoT and smart home connectivity, and the basic data model. Additionally, we give a demonstration of how a smart light bulb might work using Thread and Matter.

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Performance Levels

High data rate – Cat-6, Cat-9, Cat-12: Found in high power, high data rate devices, Consumer mobile devices, base stations, and range extenders

Low data rate – Cat M1, NB-IoT, LTE-M: These operating categories are typically found in low power IoT or mobile devices such as smart meters, sensor nodes, and distributed machine communication

Source: u-blox

Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards and Data Plans

Pre-paid and monthly plans available for cellular data:

Cellular SIM Cards and Data Plans

Cellular SIM Cards

Antennas

Choose from stock antennas or build your own custom antenna with the Antenna Builder service from Taoglas:

Stock Cellular Antennas

Custom Antenna Builder

Transceivers, Gateways, and Routers

These devices negotiate the transfer of data and determine how data will be transferred on the network:

Cellular Gateways and Routers

Cellular Transceiver Modules and Modems

How to Enable Power Saving Modes of NB-IoT and Cat-M and the Energy Consumption Expected

Learn how to evaluate and use the power saving modes associated with NB-IoT and Cat-M cellular low power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies.

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5G - The Basics

5G is being released in a series of 4 waves. Wave 1 started in 2018 and is the release of Fixed Wireless Access. Wave 2 has slowly started in 2019 and will allow for consumer cellular devices to be connected to 5G.

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LTE-M vs NB-IoT

Which is the better low power LTE option, LTE-M or NB-IoT? The best answer is, it depends. LTE CAT-M1 supports higher data rates, and over-the-air updates. LTE CAT-M1 can be mobile, and is largely available.

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LTE Cat M1 Modules Provide an Alternative to Broadband and Smartphones for Assisted Living Systems

LTE Cat M1 cellular modules provide a link for connected healthcare solutions in the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

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Use a Cellular Module to Connect a Maker Project to the IoT

Pairing a single board computer with a cellular modem eliminates smartphone or router gateways and dramatically extends the wireless range of maker projects.

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Wireless Personal Area Networking (WPAN)

• Bluetooth when not designated as Bluetooth Low Energy (or BLE) is often referring to an earlier version (which is sometimes called Bluetooth Classic). It is a short-range wireless standard for transmitting data over short distances.
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is optimized for low power usage and most often found in devices with small batteries and low power requirements like fitness trackers and medical devices.
• Impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) is a wireless technology that uses high frequency, wide bandwidth transmissions. While the technology operates in the 3.1 GHz - 10.1 GHz frequency range, each radio channel can have a bandwidth of 500MHz. The transmissions are short duration and act as a position and ranging sensor using radar principles.
• Zigbee is a 2.4 GHz mesh network based on the IEEE 802.15.4 specification that forms small scale Personal Area Networks. Not as complex or expensive as other options like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi but often covers a smaller area. Typically found in low power and low data rate devices like home automation, IoT devices and even some industrial automation networks.
• Z-wave is another wireless protocol for home automation and smart devices, Z-wave is a sub 1 GHz mesh networking protocol used in home automation devices with low data rate transmission and power requirements. Z-wave is owned and developed by Silicon Labs.
• 6LoWPAN an Acronym for "IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks" 6LoWPAN is a wireless network protocol that supports using Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 over wireless networks for improved networking performance and features. While more complex than other options, it does allow for open IP standards for communication.
• Thread is based on 6LoWPAN and 802.15.4. It can be used as a low-power mesh networking protocol for Internet of things (IoT) products. Often used with Matter.

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN)

• Wi-Fi is one of the most popular and widespread wireless protocols, Wi-Fi is expanding capabilities and frequency ranges for IoT devices, low power applications and short-range high data rate devices, making it a very popular protocol to integrate into smart devices.

Cellular

• High Data Rate Cellular, more commonly known as 4G, Perfect for high speed, high data rate wireless transmissions, higher power requirements for transmitting but there are several low power variants designed for IoT and Machine to Machine applications.
• 5G RedCap (short for Reduced Capacity) is a 5G based wireless standard designed to serve the midpoint between high speed, high data networking and low power lower data rate IoT applications. There are several differences 5G RedCap has compared to the full 5G hardware standard such as narrow bandwidths, reduced antenna count and lower transmitter power. The benefits are lower power consumption and decreased hardware requirements making it suitable for wearable devices, IoT and smart cities.​

Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN)

• LoRa – (from "Long Range") is a proprietary spread spectrum modulation scheme that is developed by SemTech. It is long range (~3 miles / 5 kilometers) and low data rate (~1kbps). It trades data rate for sensitivity within a fixed channel bandwidth. It implements a variable data rate, which allows the system designer to trade data rate for range or power.
• NB-IoT – (also known as Cat-NB1) is a narrowband technology standard that does not use a traditional cellular LTE physical layer but is designed to coexist with other LTE devices and use some of the same frequency bands. It is suitable for static, low-power applications requiring low data throughput, and long-range.
• LTE-M – (also known as Cat-M1) is designed for low-power cellular applications requiring medium data rate throughput. It has a narrower bandwidth compared to regular LTE, giving a longer range, but less data throughput. LTE-M is perfect for medium-throughput applications requiring low power, low latency, and mobility.
• Wi-Fi HaLow™ – Wi-Fi certified products based on the IEEE 802.11ah wireless standard which operates on the sub 1 GHz band. This allows for longer ranges and lower power consumption compared to traditional Wi-Fi. While still having all the same features of Wi-Fi networking such as security and ease of deployment, the long range allowed by the sub 1 GHz transmissions make perfect for modern IoT and other long-range applications.​
• Dect NR+ – is a license exempted, non-cellular mesh networking wireless standard designed for massive Machine to Machine communications requiring ultra-low latency and data throughput. By operating on the global license exempted 1.9 GHz frequency band, there is no need for existing cellular infrastructure such as base stations and towers, allowing users to run their own private network without cellular providers, allowing for significantly reduced cost of deployment. ​

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a system of orbiting satellites around the earth with transmit position and timing data to receiving devices on the ground. By decoding the position of the transmitting satellites and the time the signal was sent, it is possible to find the exact position of the receiving device. While GNSS is the generic name, there are many different systems and augmentation systems from nations around the world, the most wide spread and popular systems are

• Global Positioning System (GPS) is a system from the United States of America
• GLONASS is a system from Russia
• Bei Dou is a system from China
• Galileo is a system from the European Union

How to Select a Wireless Connectivity Solution

Wireless communication has advanced by leaps and bounds since the first devices shed their communication cables and wires.

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Zigbee – What is it?

Zigbee is a wireless mesh protocol developed as an open global standard for products needing a low-cost, low-power wireless network option.

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RFID Tags and Frequency Ranges

RFID, which means Radio Frequency Identification, is a common technology used for tracking, counting, and many other tasks which require an operator or a system to know where things are.

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Getting Started with Advantech’s WISE-4610 Industrial LoRaWAN I/O Module

This post covers setting up the WISE-4610P-NA Industrial LoRaWAN I/O module with the S617T plugin I/O base.

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Certification and Testing​

The fair and responsible use of the wireless electromagnetic spectrum is a priority for both safety and economic use, national governments require strict compliance and certification needed before new designed are offered for sale to the public. In the United States of America, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for testing and certification that devices meet Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards or the ability of a product to function in and around other electronic components without causing interference.​

Dealing with interference​

There are a many different methods that can eliminate or reduce the interference from outside sources.​

Shielding: RF shields and RF gaskets can ensure that the enclosures are fully protected against RFI and EMI intrusion

RF Shields – One of the most common ways to reduce incoming interference or prevent radio emissions from leaking out is RF Shielding. The purpose of an RF shield is to either block or conduct away interference signals from the components on that are the most susceptible to interference such as RF amplifiers.

RFI and EMI – Contacts, Fingerstock and Gaskets – Includes foam gaskets that can seal gaps in external enclosures.​

RFI and EMI – Shielding and Absorbing Materials – Includes sheets or rolls of material to reflect or absorb interfering signals.​

Directional antennas to carefully direct and limit EMI from spreading in unwanted directions

Directional Antennas – Directional antennas are another option to reduce interference from outside sources. By only allowing reception from a particular direction, they can filter out unwanted sources along the transmission path. However, these are large devices that more suitable for fixed installations with a predictable reception path.

Design services for reviewing interference and regulatory policy of an RF design. This can be a valuable step before applying for certification:

• MS01: EMI/EMC Review
• MS02: Radio Receiver Review

Use the Right Off-the-Shelf Metal Cans and Clips to Shield Against EMI/RFI

Use prefabricated metal cans with complementary production-compatible pc board mounting clips for convenient, effective, and removable RF shielding.

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RF Shielding: The Art and Science of Eliminating Interference

Explore products and approaches that use shielding and ground planes to prevent spurious signal interference and ultimately minimize RF interference.

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Design and Shielding Techniques to Block EMR and EMI

The ever-improving functionality of modern smartphones, pods, tablets, and PCs is a testament to the designer's ability to do more in less space. However, as silicon geometries get smaller, sensitivity to noise can get higher.

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Tackling Interference in High Reliability Wireless Industrial Control Systems

Options to overcome interference in high reliability industrial control systems using different frequencies and protocols in transceiver devices and modules.

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RFI and EMI - Contacts, Fingerstock and Gaskets

This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the RFI and EMI - Contacts, Fingerstock and Gaskets category on DigiKey.com

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Form Factors of Transceivers

Integrated Circuits (ICs) – contain the necessary circuity to form and decode wireless signals. However, as they are just the IC, they require circuit board design and assembly before they can transmit. Not ideal for the first-time maker but allows for close system integration

Modules and Modems – packages that can be integrated into a wireless design. Some modules have integrated RF shielding and power management features, which can reduce the amount of additional design needed

Finished Transceiver Unit – ready to use devices and units to quickly set up a wireless network. Ready to be powered on and connected to a network, these finished units take the guess work out of wireless network deployment and are ideal for plug and play operations when connecting sensors or setting up data links

Development boards and kits – for experimentation and prototyping, they are a maker's best friend to get started in the world of RF development. With the world's most popular manufactures and suppliers in stock at DigiKey, covering every frequency, wireless band, and application DigiKey has everything you need to experiment and move your ideas from prototype to production

RF Transmitters – Product Selection Guide

This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the RF Transmitters category on DigiKey.com

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Ultrasonic Receivers, Transmitters – Product Selection Guide

This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the Ultrasonic Receivers, Transmitters category on DigiKey.com

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Getting Started with RN42 Bluetooth Module

The RN42 is a Class 2 certified Bluetooth module from Microchip.

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Antenna Integration

Integrating an antenna into your design can be an extremely difficult task and will vary across many factors of your design. We can't cover every factor, but the list below will get you started. In general, more metal (bigger antenna) means better antenna performance if it's matched properly in your design.

External Antenna

If you are designing using an external antenna, some considerations will be different from those using an embedded or internal antenna. You may need a longer cable to reach a premium transmission point. Introducing cables and connectors introduces losses into the signal chain and should be planned for so these losses won't considerably affect the performance of your design. External Antennas may have a higher gain also and that should be considered as well as it may put your design outside of the acceptable certification parameters. Location, placement and orientation of the antenna and cable type used will be key factors in the performance of an external antenna.

Internal Antenna

Internal or embedded antennas are often chosen due to size limitations, this often means the performance of the antenna is not as great as their external counterparts and the design is critical to getting the most out of the embedded antenna. Size and placement should be the first considerations for an internal antenna as these will determine which antennas may be used. If your device will be inside a metal box, an internal antenna likely won't work at all. If the antenna will be placed on a PCB you will need to determine what amount of ground or component clearance will be needed for the antenna chosen, some antennas may be designed to sit on top of a ground plane, and some will require a certain amount of ground clearance to operate effectively.

Antenna Terminology

• Gain – measures how effectively the antenna transmits power in a specific direction. This gets referred to as peak gain, average gain or both on antenna datasheets.
• Antenna Efficiency – ratio of the power radiated versus the power fed to the antenna terminal. Higher efficiencies indicate better performing antenna at a given frequency.
• Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) – Measures how effectively power is transmitted from the source through a transmission into the antenna (load). VSWR is measured as a ratio of input power to output power, a measure of less than 2:1 is considered a good match, the higher the VSWR the greater the mismatch.
• Antenna Impedance – Measures the opposition of current when a voltage is implied. This is the value that must be matched to the source impedance to transmit power efficiently through the antenna. Most radio equipment is built for an impedance of 50 ohms.

Popular Antenna Types

Ceramic Patch – Support wider frequency bands, often used with GPS

Chip – Small footprint, soldered directly to PCB

Whip – A traditional antenna design that has been used for FM Radio, but can be applied broadly

Flat Patch – Commonly used in portable wireless devices

Micro Strip Calculator

The IPC-2141 Trace Impedance Calculator will help make initial design easier by allowing the user to input basic parameters and get a calculated impedance according to the IPC-2141 standard. While this calculator will provide a baseline, any final design considerations should be made towards loss, dispersion, copper roughness, phase shift, etc. A field solver may be required for final circuit analysis.

dBm To Milliwatt Converter

The dBm to milliwatt converter tool converts power measurements between units of decibel-milliwatts (dBmW) and watts (W).

Antenna Builder – Fit the Antenna to Your Project

What if you could have a custom antenna shipped to you in days, not weeks, without NRE costs, tooling charges or minimum order requirements? You can!

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Return Loss vs. VSWR in chip antenna selection

Matching is important when selecting chip antenna. Return Loss and VSWR are both parameters used to measure the antenna’s matching condition. There is a numerical relationship between Return Loss and VSWR.

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RF Antennas

This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the RF and Wireless category on DigiKey.com RF Antennas are used to receive and transmit electromagnetic waves.

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